Improvement in guard-fingers for harvesters



J. w. BROKAW.

Fingers for Harvesters. No. 21,533. Patented Sept. 14, 1858.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. BROKAW, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO WARDER, BROKAW &CHILD, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN GUARD-FINGERS FOR HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 21,533, dated September14, 1858.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN W. BROKAW, of Springfield, in the countyof'Glarkc and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Fingers for Harvesters, of

' spectively, of the same, and Fig. 4: a plan of the finger with the capremoved.

The object ofmy improvement is to provide a guard-finger at a cheap ratethat will possess all the requisite qualities for resisting the variousforces brought to bear upon it, and that will not be subject to bechoked or clogged up; and its nature consists in forming the finger intwo parts of different kinds of the the same metal, (wrought and castiron,) in a manner to be hereinafter described, so that the strength ofthe different metals will be brought to bear in the direction that each,from its peculiar nature, will be best adapted to resist, and so thatthe cheapest metal will form the larger and heavier portion of thefinger, by means of which the cost of the finger is materially reduced,as well because of the difference in cost of materials as in the cost ofthe v manufacture of that part of the finger.

To enable others skilled in the art to make, construct, and use myinvention, I will now proceed to describe it in detail.

The finger,as delineated in the drawings, coir sists of two principalparts, the base A and cap-piece B, the front end of the former of whichis beveled off at the sides, and a counternotch, a, as it were, formedon the under side of the point cl of the cap, into which the point 1 ofthe base fits.

At the rear end of the finger, in that portion of it which secures it tothe finger-bar by being bolted to it on its under side, is a notch, b,of such size and shape as to receive the rear end of the cap-piece A.This end is somewhat elongated in a horizontal direction, so that whenfitted in the notch 12 and the finger secured to its bar it shall beconfined in that position by being compressed between the two. The rearpart of the cap B, immediately over the sickle-bar D, is raised orcurved over the latter to a height sufficient to prevent the possibilityof its being choked up by grass or other such substances working betweenit and the finger-bar. The middle portion of it is also left open for asimilar purpose. Thus formed, the two parts (the cap and base) arefitted and secured together, either by uniting them at or near thepoint, or in any other suitable manner. The base A, which is much thelarger and heavier portion of the finger,is formed of cast-iron, and thecap and point B, which form the pointof the finger, of wrought ormalleable iron.

By making the base of cast-iron and forming the point 12 and the cap ofwrought-iron the upper side of the base, and which in fingers forms thestationary knife, can be ground 06' the smooth, and with sharpcutting-edges with gear ease and expedition. At the same time point ismade of a stronger and tougher metal, better calculated to resist suddenconcussions and strains than if made of cast-iron. Then by curving thecap of the finger back over the sickle-bar, and so as to preventchoking, all the advantages of the open guard orfinger are obtained. Atthe same time greater strength and rigidity are given to the finger.

I do not claim broadly making the cap of harvester guard-fingers ofwrought or malleable iron with a base of cast-iron but What I do claimas my invention, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

The peculiar construction of the cap B, as

described, when made of wrought or malleable iron, and connected to thecast-iron base A and to the finger-bar, in the manner and for thepurposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereun to set my hand to this specification.

J. W. BROKAW. [L. s.] Witnesses:

J. R. DODGE, J. S. CHRISTIE.

